The holy martyr Thaleleus at Agea in Cilicia. Born in Lebanon in the third century, St. Thaleleus was an eighteen-year-old fair haired young man, training to be a physician. He courageously confessed Christ as God. After several attempts to execute the martyr, he was finally beheaded. The relics of the holy martyr Thalelaeus are in […]
Tag Archives: byzantinela
May 17 The Holy Apostle Andronicus and his Companions
The holy apostle Andronicus was one of the Seventy apostles. He and his companion Junias were kinsmen of St. Paul, as he mentions in Romans 16:17. St. Andronicus was Bishop of Pannonia but still he traveled preaching the gospel with Junias, bringing the word of God to pagans. Many pagans temples were closed and Christian […]
May 16 Our Venerable Father Theodore the Consecrated
Our venerable father Theodore was a disciple of St. Pachomius (May 15). Yearning for monastic life at an early age, he left his parents home at the age of fourteen and joined one of St. Pachomius’ monasteries. St. Theodore cared for St. Pachomius during his final illness. He became the hegumen of all of St. […]
May 15 Our Venerable Father Pachomius the Great
Our venerable father Pachomius the Great was a soldier in Thebaid (Upper Egypt) in the fourth century. After watching Christians feed and care for his fellow soldiers because they loved their God and wanted to fulfill His commandment to love their neighbor, St. Pachomius converted to Christianity. After his baptism, St. Pachomius led a strict […]
May 14 The Holy Martyr Isidore
The holy martyr Isidore was an officer in the Roman Navy in the third century. Once it was discovered that he was a Christian, St. Isidore’s admiral urged him to renounce Christ and made sacrifice to the idol, but St. Isidore refused saying, “You may be able to kill my body, but you have no […]
May 13 The Holy Martyr Glyceria
The holy martyr Glyceria was orphaned at an early age and became Christian. During the persecutions of Christians under the emperor Antoninus (138-161), an edict was issued that all Christians had to offer sacrifice to the idols. St. Glyceria was determined to suffer for Christ. On the appointed day, she drew a Sign of the […]
May 12 Our Fathers among the saints Epiphanius, Bishop of Cyprus and Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople
Our holy father Epiphanius, Bishop of Cyprus, “a last relic of ancient piety,” as St. Jerome calls him, lived during the fourth century in Phoenicia. The Roman empress Honoria was his sister. He was of Jewish descent, and in his youth he received a fine education. He was converted to Christianity after seeing how a […]
May 8 The Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian
The holy apostle and evangelist John the Theologian, who, a son of Zebedee, with his brother James and Peter was a witness to the transfiguration and also the passion of the Lord. At the cross, he took Mary as his mother at the command of the dying Lord. In the Gospel and in his other […]
April 30 The Holy Apostle James, Brother of John the Theologian
The holy apostle James, son of Zebedee, was the brother of St. John the Theologian, and one of the Twelve Apostles. He and his brother, St. John, were called to be Apostles by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who called them the “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). It was this James, with John and Peter, who […]
April 29 The Nine Martyrs of Cyzice; Our Venerable Father Memnon the Wonderworker
The nine holy martyrs of Cyzice burned with a love for Christ. These martyrs refused to offer sacrifice to idols or deny Christ as their Lord. They were cruelly tortured and finally beheaded in the third century. Our venerable father Memnon the Wonderworker was from early days devoted to fasting and prayer, and became a […]